Chelsea are looking to sign a striker in January, with Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen on their radar. James Marshment of TEAMtalk says Nicolas Jackson has a future at Stamford Bridge, so Armando Broja might be expendable. And should a suitor come forward for the 22-year-old in January, the hope is that a big name could replace him.
Toney would be expensive and unfit
Toney has long been a target for Chelsea, scoring 20 goals in 33 Premier League games for Brentford last season. The England international was suspended from competitive football in May, however, due to breaching FA betting rules. Toney will be allowed to resume football activities in mid-January, but he’ll be considerably short of match fitness.
Marshment believes that is what will put Chelsea off of signing him in January. Brentford requesting £100m for a soon-to-be 28-year-old earning £100k-per-week in wages might be a factor too. Toney’s contract at the Gtech Community Stadium is up in 2025, so Brentford might have to cash in sooner or later.
Osimhen committing his future to Napoli
Osimhen scored 26 goals from 32 Serie A games last season, so it’s easy to see why Chelsea want him. The 24-year-old has been at Napoli for three years, bagging 66 goals with 16 assists from 116 appearances. His future at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona was uncertain earlier in the season after a social media dispute, but Fabrizio Romano said he’s set to sign a new deal.
Like Toney, Osimhen wouldn’t be cheap to sign. The Nigerian international, who has 20 goals in 27 games for his country, has an asking price of £100m. Osimhen also takes home more than £100k-per-week in wages, so Chelsea have a decision to make.
Neither player will be easy to sign, however, as clubs don’t want to sell valuable assets in January. Letting important players leave midway through a season can be disruptive, so clubs tend to do big business over the summer.
Chelsea may want Toney and Osimhen, but they might not be signing either of the pair.
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